The Colorado Rockies reportedly reached an agreement Thursday with slugger Mark Reynolds on a one-year, $2.6 million contract that also includes incentives.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported the signing and contract terms. Patrick Saunders and Nick Groke of the Denver Post confirmed a deal is in place pending a physical to make it official.
Reynolds, who hit 44 home runs for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009, is coming off a down season with the St. Louis Cardinals. He posted a .230 batting average with just 13 homers and 48 runs batted in across 140 games.
The 32-year-old infielder has often struggled to get on base consistently (.324 career OBP) and strikes out too frequently (31.6 percent for his career, per Fangraphs). That said, his top-tier power potential continues to earn him opportunities.
Hitting only 13 long balls last season after a modest 22 by his prior standards in 2014 with the Milwaukee Brewers is a warning sign as he exits his peak seasons. He hasn’t topped 25 homers since 2011.
The Rockies hope Coors Field can remedy his fading power totals. Colorado’s home stadium ranked fifth in baseball in home runs per game and first in runs scored last season, according to ESPN.
Furthermore, Reynolds has enjoyed hitting there in the past with eight homers in 37 games while racking up a .405 OBP, his second best of any stadium, per Yahoo Sports.
Combine those numbers with the size of the contract, and the Rockies feel it’s worth taking a chance on him as they look to bolster their lineup. He should slide right into the middle of the order while splitting time at first base with Ben Paulsen.
Still, his recent numbers suggest expectations should definitely be kept within reason heading toward 2016, even with the chance to play half his games at Coors Field.
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